Various types of electrical cabling are used to couple signals and/or power between electrical and/or electronic devices. It is common for an electronic apparatus (e.g., computer, router, disk array, etc.) to have several cables of various signal carrying capacities and connector types connected thereto, often at the rear side (or backplane) of the apparatus. These cables are typically routed away in various directions toward their respective destinations. Numerous cables include cable heads mounted at right angles (90 degrees) with respect to the cable itself in order to accommodate minimal space situations and/or routing of the cable in a desired direction.
However, a problem sometimes arises when several right-angle cables are connected to an electrical entity in close proximity to each other. If many (or all) of the cables are to be routed tangentially away from the entity in the same general direction, then conflicts can result from the crowded conditions. Specifically, the connection of one right-angle cable head to the electrical entity precludes the connection of another cable head at a closely adjacent site.
Furthermore, many electronic apparatus are presently configured such that several different cable types are required to be connected to the apparatus. Such cable and connector diversity results in inventory problems and additional expense.